The world of wireless telecommunications is entering a new era with the advent of personal communications services (PCS). The constant trend toward lower and lower subscriber acquisition costs and higher market penetration is creating a demand for more effective ways to offer the wireless service to broader segments of the population. However, a large percentage of applicants are normally turned away from wireless carriers due to poor or insufficient credit, although many of these applicants do possess the ability to pay for the service. Accordingly, a growing segment within the wireless telecommunications market is the prepaid wireless service. However, there are disadvantages associated with the conventional prepaid services.
Additionally, there is also growing popularity associated with telephone cards, which allows the card holder to make local telephone calls from public telephone facilities, and tolled or long distance calls from public and private facilities. Each telephone card has recorded thereon a predetermined amount of funds which can be applied toward telephone charges associated with the local and long distance calls. The charges are deducted from the telephone card until all funds are depleted.
Therefore, a consumer may have, in his/her possession, a number of telephone and prepaid wireless cards as well as credit and debit cards. The proliferation of these plastic cards and the associated account numbers not only encumbers the wallet, but also the mind. The sheer number of these cards also makes them easier to misplace and lose track of.